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RCR Sprint Cup Post Race Report for Kansas Speedway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Kansas Speedway
April 21, 2013

Race Highlights:

* Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 10th (Paul Menard), 12th (Kevin Harvick) and 18th (Jeff Burton).
* Menard is 10th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Jimmie Johnson by 71 markers, while Harvick ranks 12th, 87 points back, and Burton sits 23rd, 133 points out of the top position.
* The No. 27 Chevrolet SS team ranks 10th in the Sprint Cup Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 29 team 14th and the No. 31 team 25th.
* Menards' 10th-place finish marks his fourth top-10 finish of the season.
* Menard spent 215 Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most of any driver in the event.
* According to NASCAR's Post-Race Loop Data Statistics, Harvick was the fourth-Fastest Driver Early in a Run, had the fourth-fastest Green Flag Speed and was fifth-Fastest on Restarts.
* Harvick spent 255 of the 267 Laps in the Top 15 while maintaining an 8.326 Average Running Position, placing him third and fifth, respectively, in the loop data categories.
* Burton made 79 Green Flag Passes (37 while running in the top 15) during the 267-lap race, the third-most of any driver in the event.
* Burton spent 181 Laps in the Top 15, ninth-most of any driver in the event.
* Matt Kenseth earned his second victory of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season and was followed to the finish line by Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer.
* The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Richmond 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, April 27. The ninth race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio.

Starting the STP 400 from the 12th position, Paul Menard and the No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet SS finished 10th to capture his fourth top-10 result of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. In the early laps of the 400-mile event, Menard faced a loose-handling condition. That handling issue led the No. 27 team to make a variety of chassis adjustments during the ensuing pit stops. Pit strategy, coupled with chassis adjustments, allowed Menard to maintain a position inside the top 15 for the majority of the race. Lightning-fast pit stops by the pit crew also provided Menard the opportunity to gain multiple spots on pit road. With just 25 laps remaining in the 267-lap race, the 32-year-old driver settled into 10th and was able to maintain his position for the remainder of the event. The Wisconsin native's top-10 finish allowed him to remain 10th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings heading into Richmond International Raceway.

Start - 12 Finish - 10 Laps Led - 0 Points - 10th

PAUL MENARD QUOTE: "It was an okay day for the Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet SS. It was just really hard to pass. We've got some of the best pit stops in the business. My guys do a really good job on pit road, so we gained a lot there. The pace slowed down from yesterday, which really caught us off guard a lot more than we thought. We missed it a little bit, but you've just got to look back and utilize the tools and do a better job of starting the race because we always end pretty good."

Harvick Finishes 12th at Kansas Speedway

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Bad Boy Buggies team finished 12th in the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The California native started the 267-lap affair from the 17th position and moved into the top five by lap 47. As the race progressed, Harvick informed crew chief Gil Martin the car was developing a loose-handling condition, which the pit crew worked to remedy during multiple two and four-tire pit stops. The team maintained a position within or near the top 10 until the final pit stop on lap 220 when the pit crew bolted on four fresh tires and added fuel. Several teams opted for two-tire pit stops, which placed the Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet 11th for the final restart. Harvick spent the final laps running in the top 15, ultimately crossing the finish line in the 12th position. Following the STP 400, Harvick sits 12th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

Start - 17 Finish - 12 Laps Led - 0 Points - 12th

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE: "This was not the result we were looking for today. We had a fast car, but it was just too loose at the end and the final pit stop didn't work in our favor either. We were better on four tires, but a lot of teams took two on the final stop, so we had a lot of ground to make up. Hopefully, we can find some better luck next weekend at Richmond (International Speedway)."

Jeff Burton Finishes 18th at Kansas Speedway

Jeff Burton and the No. 31 American Ethanol Chevrolet SS team finished 18th at Kansas Speedway in the STP 400. Starting the 267-lap event in the 20th position, the South Boston, Va., native showcased he was one of the fastest drivers in the 43-car field by climbing into the top 15 within the first 10 laps, despite a loose-handling condition. As the race progressed, Burton eventually settled into the 12th position and radioed to crew chief Luke Lambert that the green and black machine was tight in the middle of the 20-degree banked corners of the 1.5-mile facility. The 45-year-old driver maintained his top-15 running position for the majority of the race, until the tight-handling condition returned on the final 43-lap green-flag run to the checkered flag. Burton managed to keep a spot within the top 20, despite the tight-handling condition, and eventually crossed the finish line in 18th place to maintain the 23rd position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
Start - 20 Finish - 18 Laps Led - 0 Points - 23rd
JEFF BURTON QUOTE: "It is disappointing for the No. 31 team to come out of here with an 18th-place finish with a car that was running in the top-10 and top-15 all day. This American Ethanol team continues to make strides with our 1.5-mile program and we showcased that speed today before the final green-flag run. I feel good about having a strong run next weekend when we head to one of my favorite tracks in the country at Richmond (International Raceway)."